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Who Was Sir Syed Ahmed Khan

Everything you need to know about Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan's social reforms, and other topics related to Sir Syed Ahmed Khan.

Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan was born On October 17, 1817, in Delhi. He died on March 27, 1898, in Aligarh, India. He was a Muslim author, instructor, and jurist. He was the founding member of the Anglo-Mohammedan Oriental College in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India. He was the driving force that led to the reform of Indian Islam during the late nineteenth century. Lectures on the History of Mohammed (1870) and commentaries about the Bible and the Quran were among his Urdu writings. He was appointed a Knight Chancellor of the Glory of India in 1888. 

About Sir Syed Ahmed Khan’s Family

Sayyid’s family, despite being progressive, was held in great respect by the waning Mughal dynasty. Income for his father came from the Mughal government who became a religious hermit; his mother’s father had repeatedly held the post of the Mughals as well as roles of trust with the East India Company. Sayyid’s brother constructed one of the very first publishing mills in Delhi and launched one of the very first publications in Urdu, which was the primary language of northern Indian Muslims. 

Sayyid’s father’s death put the family in trouble financially, and post a minimal education, Sayyid was forced to struggle for a living. Beginning as a secretary with the East India Company in 1838, he graduated as a sub judge three years later and served at numerous locations in the subject jurisdiction.

 

About Sir Syed Ahmed Khan

Sayyid Ahmad had such a multifaceted character, and his role in the subject of the jurisdiction allowed him to be involved in a variety of activities. His writing career (in Urdu) began at the age of 23 writing religious pamphlets. He published the amended (“Monuments of the Great”), a notable book about Delhi’s antiquities in 1847. 

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan_Impact on British policy

His pamphlet, “The Origins of the Indian Revolt,” was much more significant. During the Indian Mutiny of 1857, he sided with the British, but in this book, he capably and bravely exposed the British administration’s flaws and blunders, which had led to frustration and a nationwide uprising. It was widely cited by British authorities and had a significant impact on British policy. His religious interest was likewise robust and lasting. He started a sympathetic reading of the Bible, authored Lectures on the Life-history of Mohammed (which his son translated into English), and composed many volumes of a progressive commentary on the Quran. In these publications, he attempted to reconcile Islam with scientifically and politically broadminded ideals of the day. 

Construction Of Schools

The overarching goal of Sayyid’s life, however, was education in its broadest sense. He started by constructing schools in Moradabad (1858) and another school in Ghazipur in 1863. The establishment of the Academic Society, which produced translations of numerous educational literature and published a bilingual journal. Urdu and English were the languages in which they were published. It was a more ambitious project. 

These institutions which were open to all citizens were run collaboratively by Hindus and Muslims. Events happened that would change the trajectory of his activity in the late 1860s. He was relocated to Benares, a town on the Ganges with tremendous religious implications for Hindus, in 1867. Around the same period, the deep push began in Benares to supplant Urdu, the Muslim language, with Hindi. Attempts to replace Hindi for Urdu in Scientific Society publications persuaded Sayyid for the destinies of Hindus and Muslims must split. 

Launch Of An Influential Periodical

Thus, when he created plans for a renowned educational institution during a trip to England (1869–70), they went to Cambridge for Muslims.  When he returned, he established a group for the goal and launched an influential periodical, Tahdhb al-Akhlq (“Social Reform”), dedicated to the “uplift and restructure of the Muslim.” In May 1875, a Muslim school was founded in Aligarh, and after retiring in 1876, Sayyid committed himself to expanding it into a university. The viceroy placed the college’s foundation stone in January 1877. Despite conventional disagreement with Sayyid’s goals, the college advanced quickly. In 1886, Sayyid established the All-India Muhammadan Academic Forum, which gathered yearly in various locations to encourage education and give a single forum for Muslims. It was the principal center of Indian Islam until the establishment of the Muslim League. 

Inclusion In The Formation Of Parliamentary System

Sayyid encouraged Muslims to stay out of active politics and instead focus on education. Several Muslims formed the Indian National Congress. This is when he was outspokenly opposed to the party and its goals, which comprised the formation of the parliamentary system in India. It was argued that parliamentary democracy would only operate inequitably in a nation where communal differences were paramount and knowledge and political organization were restricted to limited strata. Muslims, in general, heeded his advice and stayed out of politics. This continued for many years. They formed their own political organization after many years.

Conclusion

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 Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, a social reformer is most known for the Aligarh Effort, a systemic movement aiming at changing the Muslim community’s social, political, and educational dimensions. Sir Syed’s most notable success was the Aligarh Movement, which was primarily an educational endeavor. In 1859, he built a school in Moradabad, and in 1863, he created a school in Ghazipur. In 1864, he also established a scientific society. 

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Who was Sir Syed Ahmed Khan?

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